Fight to Win Pro 16

5 Massive Matchups At Fight To Win Pro 16

5 Massive Matchups At Fight To Win Pro 16

Fight to Win is continuing to show why they are the premiere professional jiu-jitsu league in the country. They have been steamrolling through 2016 with car

Oct 17, 2016 by Reid Connell
5 Massive Matchups At Fight To Win Pro 16
Fight to Win is continuing to show why they are the premiere professional jiu-jitsu league in the World. They have been steamrolling through 2016 with card after card of high level, crowd pleasing jiu-jitsu. And next weekend's Fight to Win Pro 16 from Las Vegas, Nevada might just be their most stacked card to date. 

Saturday night has 29 Pro Super Fights in store, Here are just 5 we at FloGrappling cannot wait for!

5. Moises Lopez vs Isiah Wright - Brown Belt NoGi

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A brown belt showdown between two elite brown belt prospects. Moises Lopez, whom you may remember from the Royal Invitational, trains out of Drysdale BJJ and will be the hometown favorite. Easton's Isiah Wright returns to Fight to Win after submitting 10th Planet's Tyler Larson in impressive fashion just last month.

Lopez who's nickname is the Honeybadger, is a main stay among the Las Vegas competition scene and received his brown belt from Robert Drysdale only a few weeks ago. Wright will be making his third Fight to Win appearance of the year after Pro 9 and Submit Cancer. This matchup has fireworks written all over it.


4. Talita Alencar vs Maxine Thyline - Black Belt NoGi

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This is a huge matchup featuring two young female black belts who have both been described as future World Champions. Maxine Thyline is returning to Fight to Win after an impressive submission win over Chelsea Donner in San Diego, while Talita Alencar whom only very recently received her black belt is looking to rebound from a main event loss vs Fight to Win Champion Mackenzie Dern.

Both girls have brown belt world championships under their belt and an attack oriented style that should make for one of the most exciting matchups of the night. Can Talita prove she belongs among the black belt ranks or will Maxine stave her off?


3. Renato Canuto vs Aaron Wilson - Brown Belt Gi

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Renato Canuto may be the best brown belt in the World. The 2016 lightweight brown belt World Champion fought his way through the toughest division this year at IBJJF Worlds and came out on top. He also submitted Bill Cooper in spectacular fashion with arguably the submission of the year at the Proving Ground Invitational. Aaron Wilson is a Gustavo Dantas brown belt looking to capture his first win at Fight to Win after losing a close decision at Fight to Win Pro 12.

Both guys are flashy athletic brown belts with bright futures in the sport, this matchup will no doubt have some crazy scrambles we are bound to be talking about on Monday morning.



2. Bill Cooper vs Dustin Akbari - Black Belt NoGi

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The co-main event at Fight to Win pro 16 pits two of the most explosive black belts in the game against each other in a nogi battle. Paragon's Bill Cooper is a BJJ veteran who recently has reinvigorated his career with big wins at Fight to Win Pro 8 and EBI 7. After submitting Jake Scovel, Cooper now sets his sights on Team Alpha Male coach Dustin Akbari. The NoGi World Champion is looking to rebound after losing a back and forth match with Garry Tonon also at Fight to Win Pro 8.

Both guys are hungry for wins on a big stage like Fight to Win and neither are afraid to take a chance and go for the kill. Don't blink in this match, you just might miss it!


1. Vinny Magalhaes vs Luis Panza - Black Belt Nogi

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Two of the most elite leg lockers in the sport will lock horns in what may be the biggest main event in Fight to Win history. Luis Panza is having a monster year after he won the LA Grand Slam and IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships where he submitted both finals opponents by foot lock. Vinny Magalhaes is one of the biggest names in jiu-jitsu and has one of the most feared leg lock games. He has lower body submission wins over names like Jackson Sousa, Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida, Bruno Bastos, Glover Teixeira and others.

The last time Vinny appeared on Flo he heel hook'd Ronny Markes at SUG 1, will he be able to do the same against the CheckMat standout? Or will it be the red hot Panza who has submitted 8 different black belts this year alone with footlocks and kneebars. No doubt both competitors will test their game against each other on Saturday night and I wouldn't be surprised if someone took an extra foot home with them!


Fight to Win Pro 16 goes down Saturday night LIVE on FloGrappling!